HESCO employees stage protest against privatisation

Union warns government to address demands or risk nationwide disruption

HYDERABAD:

Employees of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) boycotted work on Tuesday in a preemptive protest against the proposed privatisation of electricity distribution companies, including HESCO. The call was made by the All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro and Electric Workers Union, which has given the government January 16 deadline to address their demands. Failure to do so, the union warned, could trigger protests across the country.

Hundreds of employees gathered at the union's labour hall at Haider Chowk and, led by CBA Union Central President Abdul Latif Nizamani and General Secretary Iqbal Qaimkhani, staged a rally and sit-in. The protest disrupted traffic at Hyderabad Chowk, a commercial hub, for over an hour.

Speaking to the crowd, Nizamani said the union's demands - including halting privatisation, addressing workforce issues, and filling vacant positions - have been formally submitted to the government. He noted that 45 per cent of sanctioned posts in the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) remain vacant, placing extra pressure on existing staff, who have helped maintain services and implement a zero-load-shedding regime in certain areas.

Nizamani recalled that the union successfully resisted previous privatisation attempts between 2012 and 2017 and criticised international financial institutions, including the World Bank and IMF, for encouraging the government to pursue privatisation again.

He warned that if the government fails to meet the demands, union members are prepared to halt operations of the distribution companies nationwide.

The protest, which included participation from hundreds of HESCO employees across various departments, concluded peacefully after the rally, though traffic and office operations were temporarily affected.